trimble



Jan. 25, 1955 C. H. TRIMBLE ARTICLE-FORMING APPARATUS Filed Sept. '20, 1950 Niall"? FIG. I

INVENTOR H. T IMBLE ATI DR NEV United States Patent ARTICLE-FORMING APPARATUS Charles H. 'Trimble, Winston-Salem, N. C., assignor to Westerns-Electric .Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporationof New York Application September '20, 1950, Serial N0.-185,74 2

3 Claims. '(Cl. 153-48) This invention relates to article-forming apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for performing operations on two sides of an article disposed at right angles to one another.

In the manufacture of cup-like articles requiring punching or forming operations on sides of an article at right angles to one another, a punch press of a reciprocable type is sometimes used with a reciprocable working element carried by the platens and a cross-slide carried by one of the platens to effect the other forming operation. Such a press sometimes includes a cam mounted on a movable platen for actuating the cross-slide forming element prior to the operation of the forming element car ried by the movable platen, and it has been impossible with previously known apparatus to avoid a trigger action of the cam prior to dwell action of the cross-slide whereby heavy maintenance is required for the cam.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved article-forming apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for performing operations on sides of an article disposed at right angles to one another.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for performing work on a side of an article through a cam and then performing work on a side of the article at right angles thereto.

An apparatus illustrating certain features of the invention may include a platen, a second platen movable toward and away from the first-mentioned platen. A material-working element is carried with the second-mentioned platen, and a cross-slide is mounted on the firstmentioned platen for movement across the face of that platen. A wedge carried by the second-mentioned platen and slidable across the face thereof is designed to move the cross-slide into engagement with a blank on the firstmentioned platen as the second-mentioned platen is moved theretoward before the material-working element engages the blank, and a presser holds the wedge against the cross-slide. Means also may be provided for guiding the presser in a direction providing dwell motion of the cross-slide.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of an apparatus forming a specific embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, vertical, partially sectional view of an apparatus forming one embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical, partially sectional view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, there is shown therein a punch press for forming a hole in the end of a cup 12, and for forming a dimple 14 in the same operation in a side portion 15 of the cup. The punch press includes a movable platen 16, which is reciprocated toward and away from a stationary platen 17 by suitable means (not shown). The punch press carries a punch 20 cooperable with a die 22 mounted on the platen 17 to punch out the hole 10 in the cup 12.

A cam 24 is mounted on a guideway 26 secured to the movable platen 16, and is urged to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, by a compression spring 28. An adjustment screw 30 is mounted on a lug 32 formed on the cam 24. The cam 24 is generally wedge-shaped and is provided with a surface 34 engaging a cross-slide, forming tool 36 having a cam follower surface 37. The tool 36 is urged toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, by a compression spring '38 and is mounted slidably in guides j40-40 positioned on the stationary platen 17. \Atthe l'eft'handend of the tool 36, a button 42 is formed which cooperates with afrecess 44 formed in the die '22 to form the dimple 1'4 therein. A guide block 50 is urged upwardly along a dovetailed guideway :52 paralleling the surface 34 by a compression spring 54, which is positioned between the guide 50 anda fixed abutment 56. The guideway 52 is formed in afguide 53 which is fixed with respect to the stationarypla'ten 17,, and 'at its upper .end this guideway is provided with .a stop 55 for :limiting the upward movement of the 'block,50.

0perati'an I With the movable platen E1,6 withd rawn .from the stationary platen 17 to a position in which the punch 20 is positioned substantially above the die 22 and the cam 24 raised to a position in which the tool 36 is spaced substantially away from the die 22, the cup 12 is placed on the die 22, and the punch press is actuated to move the platen 16 toward the platen 17. As the platen 16 is so moved, the cam 24 is moved downwardly to move the tool 36 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, until the button 42 forms the dimple 14 in the cup 12. Then, as the platen 16 continues to approach the platen 17, the adjustment screw 30 engages the guide block 50 and moves the guide block 50 downwardly along the guideway 52, the cam 24 sliding laterally toward the right along the guideway 26 as this occurs. The punch 20 comes into engagement with the cup 12 during this movement, and punches the hole 10 in the cup. The platen 16 then is moved out of its retracted position, and the guide block 50 is raised by the action of the compression spring 54 and moves back against the stop 55, after which the cam 24 moves on upwardly, and the adjustment screw 30 is moved away from the guide block 50 and the tool 36 is moved substantially away from the cup 12.

The above-described apparatus sequentially forms the dimple 14 and the hole 10 in the cup 12 on right angle sides thereof without any trigger action in the operation of the cam 24 and the tool 36. Thus, dwell is provided without the excessive wear and maintenance required for conventional cams.

What is claimed is:

1. A press for performing an operation on a side of a cup-shaped article, which comprises a stationary lower platen, a die mounted on the lower platen upon which such an article may rest, an upper platen reciprocable toward and away from the stationary platen, a forming tool slidably mounted for lateral movement across the lower platen for performing an operation on a side of the article, resilient means for urging said forming tool away from the die, a cam slidably mounted for lateral movement across the upper platen and having an actuating surface inclined with respect to the vertical for contacting the end of said forming tool to force it toward the article when the upper platen moves toward the die, a stationary guideway parallel to the actuating surface of the cam, a guide block slidably mounted in the guideway for engaging the side of the cam opposite to the actuating surface thereof, and means for urging the guide black along the guideway toward the cam.

2. A press for performing an operation on a side of a cup-shaped article, which comprises a stationary lower platen, a die secured to said lower platen so that such an article may be supported thereon, an upper platen reciprocable vertically toward and away from the lower platen, a forming tool mounted slidably on the lower platen and reciprocable laterally across the lower platen to cooperate with the die in performing an operation on a side of the article supported thereon, a transverse guideway mounted on the upper platen, a Wedge-shaped cam mounted slidably in the guideway for lateral movement across the upper platen, said cam having an actu ating surface inclined with respect to the vertical and designed to push the forming tool towards the die when the upper platen is moved towards the lower platen, a guide block mounted for engagement with the side of the cam opposite to the actuating surface thereof and movable in a direction parallel to said actuating surface, and

resilient means for urging the guide block towards the .cam.

3. A press for performing an operation on a side of a cup-shaped article, which comprises a stationary lower platen, a die secured to said lower platen so that such an article may be supported thereon, an upper platen reciprocable vertically toward and away from the lower platen, a forming tool mounted slidably on the lower platen and reciprocable laterally across the lower platen to cooperate with the die in performing an operation on a side of the article supported thereon, a transverse guideway mounted on the upper platen, a wedge-shaped cam mounted slidably in the guideway for lateral movement across the upper platen, a spring positioned in the guideway for urging the cam along the guideway towards the die, said cam having an actuating surface inclined with respect to the vertical and designed to push the forming tool towards the die when the upper platen is moved towards the lower platen, a backup guide fixed with respect to the lower platen, a guide block mounted References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,474,882 Baumgarten Nov. 20, 1923 1,984,021 Johnson Dec. 11, 1934 2,044,322 Oliver et al. June 16, 1936 2,158,312 Terrell May 16, 1939 2,462,080 Erle Feb. 22, 1949 2,539,085 Kerseg Jan. 23, 1951 OTHER REFERENCES Adler (Abstract) Serial No. 722,180, published Feb. 14,1950. 

